Tony Lanfranchi
|birth = 25/06/1935http://www.driverdb.com/drivers/tony-lanfranchi/ |death = 07/10/2004 |debut = Brands Hatch 1965 |entries = 86 |champs = 0 (6th 1974) |wins = 9 |teams = Alexander Engineering Co. Alan Fraser Racing Van Der Steen National Organs GTi Engineering (Akai) GM Dealer Sport Monorep Ltd.}} Tony Lanfranchi was a British Saloon Car Championship driver, who raced between 1965 and 1989. Background Lanfranchi began racing in hill climbs, notably taking inaugural Harewood Hillclimb of 1962.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Lanfranchi He also competed in numerous sports car races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and numerous club and national level championships. BTCC History Lanfranchi obtained a drive with Alexander Engineering Co. in 1965, driving a Morris Mini Cooper S in Class B for the year.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1965%20BSCC.html Lanfranchi was in contention to take the class title that year, battling with the factory Cooper Car Co. cars and the Team Broadspeed machines throughout. He took his first victory at Silverstone, but three retirements through accidents ended his chance of taking the class, finishing runner-up in Class A and ninth overall (well behind class winner John Rhodes). Alexander Engineering Co. gave Lanfranchi a drive in 1966 aswell, although he only scored at two races (finishing third in both), taking eight points.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1966%20BSCC.html The Alan Fraser Racing Team took Lanfranchi on after he was dropped by Alexander Engineering, running a Hillman Imp for him.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1967%20BSCC.html Thirty points were taken by Lanfranchi, who was often in direct competition with team mate Bernard Unett for podium positions. 1968 saw Lanfranchi take two victories in the Imp, taking eighteen points for the year, although he opted to leave the BSCC at the end of the season.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1968%20BSCC.html Second Coming Lanfranchi returned to the championship in 1974, with Van Der Steer running one of their former ETCC BMW 3.0 CSis for him in Class C.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1974%20BSCC.html A victory in his second race showed that he had lost none of his prowess, with a further victory at the penultimate race of the year. A consistent podium finisher, Lanfranchi took sixth overall (his best championship finish) and third place in his class. 1975 would see National Organs sponsor a car for Lanfranchi, who used a Chrysler Hemicuda for the majority of the year.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1975%20BSCC.html The Hemicuda was never a particularly competitive car, often making up numbers in Class D (although Lanfranchi did take a podium finish). A Third Run Lanfranchi was seen in the BSCC once more in 1979, driving a Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300 to third at Donington Park.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1979%20BSCC.html He then competed for half season in 1980, using the Firenza he had used the year before.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1980%20BSCC.html After a victory at Mallory Park, GTi Engineering (Akai) asked Lanfranchi to drive for them, using an Audi 80 GLE. Two further victories gave Lanfranchi 29 points. After missing the 1981 season, Lanfranchi entered a car with his own team TL Racing, running a VW Scirocco GTi for the majority of the season.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1982%20BSCC.html Eight podiums were enough to give Lanfranchi twelfth overall and third in class, although three retirements could have seen him finish higher in both. General Motors offered Lanfranchi a drive the following year, with Lanfranchi using an Opel Monza under the GM Dealer Sport banner.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1983%20BSCC.html Although he only scored seventeen points, Lanfranchi took his first class title, before once again leaving the championship. On and Off Driver Lanfranchi took a Vauxhall Nova Sport took a class championship in 1986, having taken two victories and a second in the season.http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/1986%20BSCC.html Driving for Monorep Ltd., Lanfranchi continued to drive for a GM/Vauxhall factory team. He then returned in 1989, using a Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v at the end of the year, supporting Andy Rouse's title bid, taking three points paying positions and 31st in the final standings. BTCC Record A table containing 's best results in the BTCC. The figures after the information about the car used indicate 's best finish at that meeting. * Lanfranchi used an Audi 80 GLE from that race onwards. References Category:Drivers